Donald Trump will not visit DMZ on Asia trip, White House official says

President Donald Trump will not visit the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) during his forthcoming trip to South Korea, the White House said on Wednesday.

Trump will instead visit a US military base 40 miles south of Seoul, a senior administration official told reporters.

Every president since Ronald Reagan has visited the heavily armed border between North and South Korean, which has stood for 64 years.

Earlier this month, US diplomats expressed concern that visiting the DMZ would be a security risk, with Trump standing feet away from heavily armed North Korean soldiers. A visit could also inflame already heightened tensions, experts warned.

The president has repeatedly clashed with North Korean leader Kim Jong un, whom he called “rocket man” during a speech at the United Nations in September, after Pyongyang intensified its nuclear weapons testing.

Trump’s tour of Asia, which starts Friday, will include also visits to Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

The White House said Trump spoke with Japan’s re-elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by phone on Monday to discuss the trip and how to maintain pressure on the North Korean regime.